Happy Skankoween!

I recognize that the material in this post is not new, so let's just get past that. Yet, I find myself wanting to write about it anyway, so here we go.

Here is my question: Can anyone explain to me why so many Halloween costumes for women are slutty? I have yet to understand this phenomenon. Educated, smart, and progressive women across the country buy costumes that take all kinds of different professions and characters and make them into "sexier" versions. Sexy nurse, sexy scientist, sexy police officer, and the like, ad nauseum. Dressing like a hooker for Halloween really doesn't appeal to me and I don't think it would, even if I were 21 and a size 2 again.

This trend seems to have gotten more and more explicit over the past few years and I've read dozens of posts by other people who are troubled by this. And yet, obviously the market is there, or the supply would have dropped. I don't really love the word feminist—I'm an equalist, really, so where are the slutty costumes for men? Sure, I've seen the silly ones that have fake derrieres on them, or are suggestive, or that are condoms, but I have yet to see the same kinds of offerings that women get on the male side. Now, I'm not saying I'm wishing for this to happen, because, well, eww. But, what's good for the goose should be good for the gander, right? Right? What, no one is interested in slutty male construction worker? Or is that just me?

Here's the thing. If you enjoy dressing up like this for Halloween, more power to you. That is not up to me to decide—it's just that I find the trend troubling insofar as society's perceptions about women in general. It's almost as if so much of the advancement of women is a front, a cover, or lip service, when the instant it is time to get in costume, the hooker outfits come out. I don't want to be perceived as a slutty anything, actually. Don't get me wrong—I like to wear nice clothes, have hair and makeup done, and am generally considered to be a fairly attractive person. There's absolutely nothing wrong with some sex appeal, but I think the current state of Halloween affairs has gone too far.

Now, here's where I really get on my high horse. Costumes for girls, and by that I mean children. "What? You want to be Little Red Riding Hood, my darling little second grader? Oh, look, here's a costume that barely covers your pre-pubescent behind and comes complete with thigh high garter stockings. And don't forget the war paint and sky high heels - it's a package deal! Be sure to bat your fake eyelashes at every dad that opens the door to give you candy! (this is written in sarcasm font for those of you who weren't sure.)

As a parent, all I can say about that is WHAT THE HELL. Toddlers and Tiaras pales in comparison to some of the girl's costumes I've run across while looking for my daughter. So here is my question: WHY would any parent want to garner sexual attention to their child? Are we really saying that we want our young daughters dressing like slutty adults? And again, where is the skanky Spiderman costume for a second grade boy? If we're skeezing out our kids, why should the boys be left out?

The whole thing just makes me sad. Sex amongst consenting adults is great, and believe it or not from this post, I'm not a prude or an evangelical nut job. But the hyper-sexualization of Halloween has turned it into a completely different holiday in my opinion. Oh, and last year, my husband and I went as agents from Men in Black and I looked hawt. (climbs down from soapbox).